The Frontline  Beacon

 Volume 1          October Issue         Beth Leffler, Editor

Message from the President

Welcome to this first edition of the Frontline Newsletter.  We hope you will discover something here to aid in daily living with Hepatitis.   We welcome input and articles by you for future editions.  It is our hope to build a community of patients and family members from the HCV-HBV circle.

If you wish to donate to Frontline for our continued efforts to educate and provide support and advocacy, we thank you.  If you know someone who may want to receive a copy of this and other newsletters, please send $9 for a yearly subscription with the name and address and email address to:

Frontline Hepatitis Awareness
2712-1/2  13th  Ave. South
Seattle, WA  98144

  

     

Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection In Patients With Cirrhosis

Journal of Viral Hepatitis 7 (5), 327-334
© Blackwell Science Ltd.
S. Zeuzem1 

Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection eventually leads to cirrhosis in 20-30% of patients and to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in 1-5% of patients. Rates of sustained virological response with standard interferon-a (IFN-a) are low in patients without cirrhosis (generally < 20%) and are even lower in those with cirrhosis. Combination therapy with

IFN and Ribavirin improves response rates in patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis, and the results from subgroups of

HCV-infected patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis are encouraging. 

Importantly, treatment with IFN slows progression of liver fibrosis, regardless of HCV genotype or early response to therapy, and reduces the risk of HCC by two- to fivefold. The risk of development of HCC is also lower in patients who show at least a partial response to IFN therapy compared with those who show no response. There is a clear need for more definitive studies of treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C and cirrhosis, ideally using therapies with greater efficacy. 

Nonetheless, based on the potential to slow the progression of liver fibrosis (regardless of treatment response) and to reduce the risk of HCC, a greater number of HCV-infected patients with cirrhosis should be considered as candidates for IFN treatment. Preliminary data indicate that pegylated IFNs have improved virological response rates and may have additional clinical benefits in the prevention or reduction of fibrosis and retardation of progression of cirrhosis and HCC in these patients.  

 Abbreviations:

HBV, Hepatitis B virus
HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
HCV, Hepatitis C virus
IFN-a, interferon-a

 

4LIVER
Hepatitis Diet, Nutrition Websites
Compiled by: Candi/LiverInfo1@aol.com

 American Liver Foundation
 Diet & The Liver  
http://gi.ucsf.edu/ALF/Info/Infodiet&live.html
  Diet and Your Liver  

  Ask Emaliss HCV Site
  Vitamins & Nutrients http://www.ia.net/~webbsite/vtmns2.htm
  Vitamins2

 Hepatitis C Foundation
  Nutritional Supplements & Vitamins   http://www.hepcfoundation.org/res_vitaminsupplements.html
  HCF: HCV --- Nutritional Supplements Vitamins ---    

Dr. Melissa Palmer, MD
  Diet & HCV
  http://liverdisease.com/diet.html
  Diet + Hepatitis C    

Hepatitis-Central-Vikki Shaw's Site
  Diet & Chronic Liver Disease   http://hepatitis-central.com/hcv/hepatitis/diet.html Hepatitis-Central Diet & Chronic Liver Disease     

Elaine's #1 HCV Resource page
  Diet & Nutrition
http://home.texoma.net/~moreland/nutri/nutri-mn.html    

 Ingo d'Alquen Vitamins with Hepatitis   http://www.hepatitis-c.de/vitamine.htm
  Information about Vitamins  

1-800-216-5195
  Hepatitis C Cookbook   {200 recipes, diet tips}
  By: Romona L. Jones, CNC, Vonah Stanfield
  $12.95 + s&h $3
  Send order to:
  Nature's Response
  22 Fairview Lane
  Shawnee, OK 74804
  Or Email to tealady1@aol.com    

To view this book go to   http://hepatitis-central.com/hcv/books/cookbook.html  
Natures Response, A Real Hep Cookbook

National Events Listing:
AASLD Annual Conference
Dallas
October 27th -31st -Whyndham Anatole Hotel  
 http://www.AASLD.org  

Hepatitis C Summit-Seattle WA
October 18 Belleview WA
 Hyatt Hotel
theteam@delaunay-phillips.com  

HEP WA Support Group Leaders Meeting
October 6, 7 & 8, 2000

Send in listings for this Events 
Calendar to show what's up.

YOU CAN LIVE WITH HEPATITIS C 

When you are first diagnosed with Hepatitis C your immediate reaction is that you are afraid.  This is normal.  Immediately you fear that you have been given a death sentence.  This is not the case in 80% of those patients diagnosed with chronic Hepatitis C.  Your doctor will probably send you to a specialist for further testing.  That specialist should test your Liver Function's, which will show low to high inflammation.  You will probably have to have a liver biopsy,   which will determine the damage that has been caused to your liver from the Hepatitis C Virus.  From the biopsy in 20% of the cases or less, those patients will be at end stage liver  disease. 

These patients are probably very sick right now. If you don't show signs of bleeding internally or swelling or filling with fluids in the legs and abdomen then you are in pretty good shape. 

In most cases you will probably pass on from this life with Hepatitis C than because of it.  That's why testing and early intervention is so important. 

Obtain as much information as possible and make your choices through the knowledge that you have gained.  There are many HCV patients and we are here to help you.  You will never be alone, that is our mission.

Beth Leffler,
Editor

 

Copyright© 2000 Frontline

 

 


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